Europe news & analysis

With 2013 lacking the wealth of event opportunities offered last year by the Olympics, Euro 2012 and Diamond Jubilee, retailers are looking to make full use of the year's seasonal events, with Valentine's Day and Shrove Tuesday being developed to drive shopper enthusiasm for these celebrations. Home dining for Valentine's Day Valentine's Day presents a clear opportunity to promote luxury 'dine ...

SPAR has launched a £1 value campaign this month, forming part of a wider move to focus more heavily on its in-store events throughout the year. Comprehensive campaign With price of particular importance to shoppers in the period immediately after Christmas, SPAR is launching a value campaign to highlight a range of products across its stores priced at £1. The launch will be supported by...

Dirk van den Broek has announced the sale of stores that will see it exit the province of Friesland. The sale will enable it to focus on regions of the Netherlands where it has a existing, strong presence. Focus to support retailers’ growth strategy The exit will support Dirk van den Broek’s parent, Detailresult, to concentrate on regions where it is best represented: North Holland, South H...

Coop Schweiz has added Swiss brands under the umbrella of its Naturaplan label, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the organic range's launch. Knorr, Zweifel, Emmi added to range Coop Schweiz has been working with the suppliers for a year to add organic versions of Zweifel crisps, Emmi Gala cheese and Stocki Knorr mashed potatoes to the Naturaplan family.  Additional products, in orga...

After announcing in September 2012 that it was exploring strategic options for its 60% stake in ICA, Ahold has announced that it will sell its stake in the business to Hakon Invest, which owns the remaining 40% in ICA. Sale to generate strong returns for Ahold Ahold said that the sale would generate SEK21.2 billion in cash, which includes ICA’s 2012 dividend of SEK1.2 billion. The company d...

Leading independent forecourt operator Euro Garages has announced a £50million deal to acquire 45 service stations from Esso. Convenience stores branded as SPAR All the petrol stations included in the deal are located in the North West, North East, Yorkshire and North Wales, bringing the total number of sites owned and operated by Euro Garages to 120. The sites will continue to have fuel s...

Booths has begun matching the prices of popular products with its main rivals through a new Price Promise mechanic. Focus on key lines Through Price Promise, Booths will match the most frequently occurring non-promotional prices of Asda , Tesco , Sainsbury's and Waitrose on commonly purchased lines. The scheme will cover branded and private label lines including fruit and vegetable...

Caprabo is to open four new stores in Cataluña in February, one in each of the region's provinces. Reinforcing leadership in Cataluña The new stores, all franchised, will open in Sant Boi de Llobregat (Barcelona), Vilobí d'Onyar (Girona), Rosselló (Lleida) and Vila Seca (Tarragona).  They will take the retailer's overall store numbers in Cataluña to 276. Franchising is key part of expan...

Tesco has launched a new premium section to its website under the title 'The Foodhall at Tesco'. Looking to attract premium customers The new webpage on Tesco.com is designed to bring a more premium option to both 'foodie' customers and those with specialist dietary requirements. The page has been designed to deliver a premium look and feel and currently features products from six special...

According to reports in Wirtschaftsblatt, Rewe’s Austria-based Billa subsidiary is going to slow the pace of expansion for its ‘Billa Box’ brand in the country. New stores to be added, when opportunities arise The company had previously stated, in 2011, that it wanted to add 10 stores annually until 2015, with a target of operating at least 50 new outlets. However, as of February 2013 the com...